Door for silos.



- R. B. CLARK.

' DOOR FOR SILOS.

APPLICATION-FILED IULY29. 1915.

Puma Jan. 2,1917.

RUFUS B. CLARK, or LIBERTY onnrnn, INDIANA.

DOOR, FOR SILOS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUFUS B. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty Center, in the county of Wells and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doors for Silos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs. I

This invention relates to an improved door for silos and has for its primary obj ect to provide an absolutely air and water-tight closure for the doors of silos or similargrain storage structures so that the entrance of moisture to the interior of the silo and its consequent deleterious effects upon the grain, will be entirely obviated.

The invention has for another and more particular object to provide in a silo structure, a suitable door frame and a door hingedly mounted therein, said frame being recessed on its inner side to receive a sheet of asbestos or other non-conducting material against which the inner face of the door is closed.

It is a further general object of the invention to provide a device of the character specified, having the advantages referred to, which may be practically carried out and embodied in the various types of silos now in general use and without adding materially to the cost of construction thereof.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is an exterior elevation of a portion of a silo, showing the same equipped with my improved door; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner side of the door frame removed from the silo door.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates the body wall of the silo, which may be of any ordinary or approved construction. In this wall, the door frame, indicated at 6, is suitably mounted and secured. The vertical side stiles and'upper and lower connecting bars are convergently inclined inwardly to the inner face of the door frame. This inner face of the frame, at the inner edge of each of the frame bars, is rabbeted or recessed, as shown at 7, for a purpose which will be hereinafter fully explained.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. a, rare.

Application filed July 29, 1915. Serial No. 42,535.

8 designates the door which is attached at its side edge and adjacent each end by means of hinges 9, to the inner face of one of the vertical stiles of the door frame and contiguous to the inner edge thereof. The edges of this hinged door 8 are channeled or chamfered so that they will fit tightly against the adJacent facesof the frame bars. Any suitable means may be provided for locking this door in its closed position. For illustrative purposes, I have shown the shiftable rods 10 arranged in pairs and movable through the guide eyes llfiXed in the outer face of the door. These rods have their inner ends pivotally connected, as at 13, to a lever 12 upon opposite sides of the pivot 14: of said lever. The outer ends of the rods are adapted for engagement in sockets or recesses 15 provided in the opposite vertical bars of the door frame. r

Unlike the'ordinary door of this character, the same is swung outwardly to its open position instead of inwardly and, in view of this outward swinging movement of the door, it is necessary to. provide means which will effectively exclude moisture to the interior of the silo. To this end, I employ a sheet of asbestos, felt, tar paper, or like nonconducting or insulating material, indicated at 16. This sheet of water-proof material is arranged upon the inner face of the door frame and seated at its edges in the grooves or channels 7 of the frame bars. The pressure of the material within the silo holds the sheet of asbestos tightly against the door frame and, as the sheet is countersunk in the frame bars, it obviously can not shift either vertically or laterally with respect thereto. The hinged door 8, when closed, engages the outer surface of this insulating sheet. The pressure of the sides against the sheet 16 absolutely precludes the entrance of air or moisture to the interior of the silo between the edges of the door and the door inc ed against the deteriorating efiects of air and moisture.

' It will be understood that my invention, as above described, may be embodied in various types of silos, irrespective of the particular construction thereof. It may, in some instances, of course, be necessary to resort to minor structural changes in the door frame in order that the same be permanently mounted in the silo wall and it will, therefore, be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate modifications in the form and arrangement of the several features above referred to as may be fairly embodied Within the spirit and scope of the invent-ion as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a silohaving a door opening, of an insulating sheet flush with the inner face of the silo wall and entirely closing the door opening, and a door hingedly mounted in the door opening to close against the outer face of the insulating sheet.

2. The combination with a silo having a door frame, of an insulating sheet, saidframe being provided with means to receive and support said insulating sheet against vertical or lateral movement with respect to the silo wall, and a door mounted in said frame to close against the outer face of the insulating sheet.

3. The combination with a silo, of a door frame mounted in the silo Wall and having its inner face recessed, an insulating sheet adapted to be seated in the recessed face of the frame and held therein by the pressure of the ensilage against the sheet, said frame preventing vertical or lateral movement of the insulating sheet with respect to the silo wall, and a door mounted in said frame to close against the outer face of the insulating sheet.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- RUFUS B. CLARK.

Witnesses:

J NO. E. YETTON, WILLIAM F. GEPHURT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

